World news was dominated by the death of Teddy Kennedy, the horrific sex-slave drama in America and the British soccer riots. Here I was very interested in a small item in our local paper saying a form of nano technology for desalinating sea-water had been discovered by Australian scientists. Water is a big problem in this country and, if this dry winter is anything to go by it's going to get worse, so I hope something comes of this. I'm fascinated by the new technologies. My favourite is Hot Rocks, but I don't suppose I'll live long enough to see much of the new technology come to fruition. I don't care if we're responsible for Global Warming or not, I just think a nice clean world would be an advantage to us all.

On SUNDAY Harry came for a lesson. He's just about to 'break the code' with reading, so that's quite exciting. He's turned into a really sensible little boy and we get on very well. Here he is sorting pictures for a sort of Memory game.

In the afternoon I took a stroll down Darby Street. It's a very busy street at the weekends because it's almost entirely restaurants, a lot of them out on the street, so it's an interesting venue.

A sunny Sunday.

I love the architecture.

And the sentiments!

MONDAY was Probus day. We had our usual meeting and then someone called Bob talked to us about the U3A movement. This is the University of the Third Age which is popular here. I've been to quite a few of the lectures and I actually run the Poetry group myself. But it was new to many members of our club.

Here are members of Probus socialising over morning-tea.

On TUESDAY I introduced the Melodrama group to my new shortened version of 'Pirate Pie' and we read and sang it. It will take very little preparation for the Xmas entertainment season. Carole, the pianist, came and she was very helpful with her ideas. I'm in my element at such times.

On WEDNESDAY there was a drama! But not until the evening! I had booked for ten of us to go to the theatre to see the musical 'Menopause'. Many of us had seen it before in Sydney. The title was off-putting, but the parodies (of the Village People type) and the performances made up for that. Anyway, I booked for us all to have supper at the 'Clarendon' first. Here you see some of the crowd.

Another gastronomic shot!

Shortly after I'd taken this picture my blood ran cold! I'd left all the tickets at home! I'd just collected all the money too! I rang Malcolm and he said he'd bring them to the theatre, but when he arrived he said he hadn't been able to find them! Panic! Luckily, the theatre staff replaced the tickets with a docket without demur. I suppose they're used to stupid women! Anyway, we all enjoyed the show in the end.

"Menopause; the Musical"

On THURSDAY it was one of my delectable Rebecca-and-Max days. This time we took him on his bike to Throsby Creek. We had a picnic when we got there, sitting on the deck of a disused pavilion.

Banjo at the ready.

Max took his bike but preferred the pelican!

Having a rest on a strange concrete sofa at the edge of the water!

Malcolm seemed to enjoy himself!

And I got a lovely shot of friend, Pam's, house on the other side of the water.

On FRIDAY the U3A class was cancelled in favour of a Trivia Morning, so I just pottered at home, preparing for the 'Jeopardy' rehearsal in the afternoon. We were downstairs in the Bingo Room this time. I think we have the club officials who were walking in and out quite a shock as we acted our ridiculous drama!

Goodness knows what was happening here!

On Saturday I made up my mind to work on preparing my blog-jokes for publication. That sounds very grand, but all it means is that I'll self-publish them in a very cheap and cheerful manner to sell to audiences when I go round performance-poeting. I'm often asked for such a booklet. I'd like it if people desired my more poetic offerings but no, it's the jokes that are in demand! Anyway, after cleaning the bathrooms and doing a Big Shop, I decided to leaf through our next Book Group book......and I was hooked. I usually make-up my mind about a book in the first page (style, topic etc) and this one enchanted me from the first capital letter! It's 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society' by Mary Ann Shaffer. The words flowed, and the wit was entrancing, although I'm not too sure about the character-drawing yet. Then I read about the author and discovered that this was her only book and that she died before it was published! I felt really emotional about the tragedy of it. Anyway, the book consumed my day. So much for plans!

Here is the author with the niece who assisted her when she became ill.

The book.

SATURDAY was a very quiet day. I read my book and worked on my joke booklet, to be called 'Chips Off The Old Blog'. At night we watched an ancient film from the Public Library, 'Chariots of Fire'. I still found it quite moving after all these years.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

We've been enjoying astounding weather lately. With Spring still ten days away. we've been basking in balmy temperatures. The photograph was taken last Sunday in Winter at Merewether and published in the local paper.! Mind you, I expect the water was very chilly!

Our local news has been dominated by a huge commercial win for Western Australia. Liquid gas will be sent from there to China for the next few decades at least and this will create over 6000 jobs in the area. My own state of NSW isn't doing too well, but a lot of the profits from the gas venture will go into the country as a whole. As far as international news goes, I have been intrigued by the American angst over socialised medicine! I have lived under a social-medicine scheme all my life and I've felt utterly secure. Of course, we top it up with private insurance but that is only so that we can go into hospital at a time and place of our choice if we need to.

On SUNDAY wewent for a walk at Honeysuckle. This is a fairly new area along by the river and the walk was delightful. We accidentally met-up with neighbours and walked together.They are keen to buy in the area so there was much discussion.

I couldn't resist reflecting in one of the new buildings.

The old bridge has been left as a fishing-bridge under the new one.

Others chose the river-bank.

June and Max with whom we walked.

A very pleasant afternoon.

MONDAY was Probus Day. We had a Committee Meeting in the morning. Since I'm no longer President, I find this year's meetings pleasantly relaxing and I always enjoy the convivial lunch afterwards. In the afternoon it was Probus Choir Practice which was unusual, as quite a serious discussion cropped up regarding non Probus Members joining the choir!

Members of the Choir discussing a very serious problem!

(Lois' house looks right out over the sea and is a lovely place to meet.)

TUESDAY was a domesticated day (so much so that I can't remember what I did!) But, in the evening, we went to Judith's for Book Group. Thereby hangs a tale! I was chosen to be 'leader' so, ages ago, I got the book from the library so that I could read it thoroughly. My daughter Rebecca leafed through it and said 'Mum! You can't do this book! It's full of nasty sex and swearing!' On her advice I took the book back. However, the description seemed to attract members of our group who shall remain nameless(!) so I went to the library to get it out again! Only to find there were 56 people ahead of me and only 13 copies!!! So we had to have a discussion without a leader! The book? It's called 'The Slap'. Having listened-in on the discussion it sounds awful! But it's won prizes so who am I to say?

Favourite Book-Clubbers; Gwen, Caroline and Ann.

WEDNESDAY was even more domesticated that Tuesday, but it was purposefully so! I spring-cleaned my computer, getting rid of things, sorting, etc. I even succumbed and reacted to two memes! I just love 'Carry On' and 'Acrostics' so I reacted against my better judgement. I also looked into Twitter. I have an account but I'm going to close it. It seems a lot of trouble for very little. One person approached me to be my 'friend' and I'd have been his five-thousandth!!! Life is too short! In the afternoon I enjoyed another hilarious Scrabble Session at my house. Maureen and Susan are on a cruise together and we're wondering what they'll report when the get back as they're both such volatile women!

Max wasn't well on THURSDAY and Becca encouraged him to sleep a long time so we didn't go round until afternoon tea time. Then, when Greg arrived with Harry, we were all together, including Brian, who's on a months leave from the Fire Service, but barring Michelle, who was at work. I love family gatherings. Greg gave us the news that Harry has got into the local Catholic School. I'm in two minds about this as the class-sizes are 30, whereas only 20 is allowed in Government schools, and I have such anti views about religion. But Greg wants him to go to the Catholic High School later on as it's so good. So we'll see. I'll be too old to worry about it!

FRIDAY was busy. I went to my U3A class in the morning and we discussed 'War Baby' by David Malouf. Jean is a good lecturer and I think I like the group just as well now as I did when it was Playreading. I had to dash home as Michelle wanted me to look after Max while she went into work to sign documents. He was very sweet as usual. He's talking non-stop now but I'm afraid it's not always in English! I tried to get a good shot of him, but, as you can see, he wanted to have fun instead!

Live-wire!

Success!

On SATURDAY I gave myself neck-ache on the computer. I looked into Stumbleupon and became completely hooked on what I found there, particularly the photographs.I couldn't find a category of poetry though so I'm just hoping something comes up under 'Writing'. I'm just about to watch a recording of 'Lark Rise to Candleford' which is unashamedly sentimental and unrealistic, but which gets me misty-eyed every time! (We've got a bar of dark-chocolate-and-raspberry too!)

When Otto died 'Granny' wrote about her husband, and she included a poem he once wrote. I asked permission to read the poem to my poetry group here in Australia. She, generously, gave permission and told me that I would be reading his verses on the very day of his memorial!

Here is a quote from 'Granny's' current blog:

"I would like to read one of Otto’s poems to you. Coincidentally, just yesterday, long after I had decided on this poem, a blogger friend in Australia e-mailed me for permission to use it in her literary group."

Sunday, August 16, 2009

This week has been infirm! I felt arthritis coming on when we went Sydney last week; the journey on the train was uncomfortable. And it got worse over the week, until, today (Saturday) it suddenly went! Being in pain is certainly ageing! But it wasn't just my bones that played-up! My computer went on the blink and was at the 'doctors' for several days! This was almost worse than the arthritis! More like an amputation! So I must apologise for not replying to recent emails. Mind you, now I'm off meming for a month my 'followers' have dwindled too. I hope I get them back in September.

World news was dominated by the dreadful floods in Asia! What a disaster. And we had a minor disaster here, too (though, of course, it was very major for those involved!) A plane went down in the highlands of Papua New Guinea and all thirteen on board were killed, nine of them Australians.

The crash scene

On SUNDAY we had a lovely day out. Our friend Les drove us all to 'The Doylo', which is the abbreviated name of the Doyalson Club. We had lunch there and then continued on to Woy Woy Little Theatre where we saw a play called "Stella by Starlight'. It was set in Ireland. It was easy light entertainment but fairly forgettable, I thought.

The local cast.

I enjoyed one of my periodic pleasures on MONDAY. My very dear friend, Philip, is a music teacher and he organises concerts involving his pupils, at the City Hall, in the Mayoress's Parlour. He always asks me along as light relief and I do a few poems. I feel quite sad when I witness the talent of young performers, because so many are bound to be disappointed in the future. I was pleased when one girl, who sang light opera, said that she wanted to be a mathematician! Very realistic.

Receiving our accolades (and jars of home-made biscuits).

On WEDNESDAY I worked on 'Pirate Pie'. It's a play I wrote last year, but I've simplified it and added more songs so that we can play it with fewer participants. Our little melodrama group suffers from 'Granny Duty' very often, so the fewer people are involved at any one time the better.

THURSDAY was another brilliant day. This must have been one of the most glorious winters on record. It's been chilly at times but the sky has been blue. Most days have been 'perfect English-Summer' days and a lot of my readers will know what I mean by that. It was another 'Max' day and we took him to Redhead Beach. Brian threw the ball for Banjo (called Bobo by our late-speaking Max) as Redhead is a dog-friendly beach, and Max spent a lot of time scratching in the sand with a stick. He was a little afraid of the pounding waves. I found the walking on sand very exhausting. The sand is very fine, silvery and squeaky and very hard to walk on! I've given up my idea of trekking over the Sahara!!! Here are a few shots of our day.

Brian and Bobo and the deserted beach.

The waves Max was afraid of.

Me waiting to be helped up off the beach!!!!! I felt ninety that day!

On FRIDAY I should have gone to U3A in the morning, but the lovely young Jeremy returned my computer and I had some catching-up to do for the afternoon. This was when we rehearsed at Souths. 'Jewelled Jeopardy' is coming on well. Our difficulties arose in organising Dress Rehearsals etc. We're all so fully occupied all the time!

On SATURDAY I did chores in the morning and went to the Sports Ground in the afternoon. The weather was so joyously springlike that I felt like soaking up the atmosphere. As it was I discovered a crowd of Rosellas (small colourful parrots) attacking new blossoms. I was clicking away like mad when my battery went dead! But I did get one good shot. Here's the Sports Ground on a sunny Saturday in Spring.

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About Me

Born in England in 1931. Evacuated in World War 2. Trained as a teacher at Brighton Training College, Sussex. Taught in London. Moved to Zimbabwe. Seven years later worked on a mail ship. Married Malcolm in Capetown. Two children, Rebecca and Greg. Moved to Australia in 1974. After retirement worked for a publisher. Three grandsons, Blake, Harry and Max. Disabled by stroke in 2013. Now in wheelchair with husband as carer..